Cost of groceries increased in May

June 10th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) The average monthly cost of a “basic food basket,” also known as a CBA for its Spanish acronym, which the government uses as a statistical marker for basic grocery items, increased by 1.37% in May from the month previous, reaching an average monthly cost of ¢44,264 according to the National Institute of Statistics and Cenus (INEC).

The greatest increases were in vegetables and legumes, which saw an increase in price of 5.84% and 4.41%, respectively. Meanwhile, the cost of beef decreased slightly by 0.26%.

The average cost of a CBA was higher in urban areas at ¢47,364, versus rural areas where the average cost came in at ¢39,250.

The CBA is a set of foods that are selected according to a normal person’s caloric and nutrition needs.